OUR DAILY BREAD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?" Moses also said, "You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord." Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.' " While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud. The Lord said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.' " That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.' " The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning." However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them." Exodus 16:1-20

The Israelites "set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt." You’ll remember that their thirst had been quenched by the wood-sweetened water, yet another sign of God’s power and providence. But we see in Chapter 16 that the people had still not learned to trust Him. For now, they were hungry as they traveled the desert. They begin to think back when they were under the oppression of Egypt and ponder whether they weren’t maybe better off then because they "sat around pots of meat and ate all the food (they) wanted." The people were unable to just appreciate that they blessed to be alive and trust that God would not let them perish. Instead, they chose to once again accuse Moses as leading them to their demise rather their salvation. In the people of Israel, we see an attitude of complaining and blaming…two very counter-productive mindsets that only drew then further away from what God wanted them to be.

Question: How much do we complain about things in our own life? Do we yearn for an abundance at the expense of appreciating how very blessed we are? Do we choose to blame others for our circumstances instead of facing challenges with the faith and trust that the Lord is always with us, never leaving is or forsaking us, always ready to refine us and reveal His glory in due time? As in other instances, I think we can see a lot of ourselves when we look at the original people of Israel.

So the hungry people of Israel have expressed their need for food, even if it was inappropriately expressed. We next see where the Lord responds to their need, saying to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions." We serve a God who loves us and will always provide for our needs in accordance with His will. This is a truth I consider to be absolute. As we enter each day, the Lord already knows our needs before we ask…He already knows what will happen in the course of our day well before it happens. As Steven Curtis Chapman says in the song, Miracle of the Moment, "There’s only One who knows…what’s really out there waiting…in all the moments yet to be…and all we need to know…He’s up there waiting…to Him the future’s yesterday." In the case of the Israelites, they needed food so the Lord "rains down from heaven" for them.

The good news is that he Lord will "rain down" blessings on you too, providing what you need to accomplish His will on any one given day. Instead of whining and complaining, we should be praying to our Father as Jesus taught us saying, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:10-11) Just as the Lord delivered quail and manna to Israel, so too is He ready to deliver what you need and in just the right measure.

Question: Do you trust the Lord? I mean, do you really trust that He will deliver you what you need in accordance with His will for you and your life? For God does deliver and gives us our daily bread each and every day. Won’t you rejoice and be glad? Won’t you praise Him every day and in every way for His goodness? Friends, God is good all the time. Let’s ever show Him our appreciation for His goodness, grace and love. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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